Truck-bolster



J. A. LAMONT.

TRUCK BOLSTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.27, 1920.

Patented; May W, M21,

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

3. A. LAMONT.

TRUCK BOLSTER.

APPLICATION FILED M027, 1920.

Pmmm May M), 319233 a SHEETSSHEET 2.

Job/2 a. [czznorzif JOHN A. LAMONT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TRUCK-BOLSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 10, 1921.

Application filed December 27, 1920. Serial No. 433,414.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. LAMONT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Truck-Bolsters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to truck bolsters for railway cars.

It is a fact that due to its rigidity the single-piece integrally-formed truck bolster having the four legs as used in connection with six-wheel trucks does not always properly equalize the load transmitted through the center plate. In such a bolster on account of its rigidity, the load under certain track conditions may be concentrated on three, or possibly two, of the four legs which tends to defeat other equalizing features there may be in the truck.

Accordingly, one object of the invention is to make the bolster structure more flexible and thereby improve the load equalizing action.

Another object is to provide a simple, durable and efiicient truck bolster particularly adapted to equalize the load transmitted through the center plate.

These and other objects are accomplished by means of the arrangement disclosed on the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a truck bolster embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same bolster;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. i is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 1-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the truck bolster;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 66 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken in the plane of line 77 of Fig. 6.

The various novel features of my invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the figures of the drawings, it will be noted that my improved truck bolster includes three separate pieces 10, 11 and 12. Pieces 10 and 11 may be called cross bolster members and the piece 12 the equalizing movement on the associated bearing members such as equalizing levers or side frames for permitting relative vertical angularity of movement such as occasioned in operating over vertical curves. The equalizing bolster member 12 includes a center plate member 14, two side girder members 15, and two end girder members 16, all cast in a single piece. However, it will be understood that if desired these five parts of the equalizing bolster member may be cast in separate pieces and riveted together in any suitable manner.

With the truck standing on a level track the center plate load is carried by the double girder or center plate portion 14 to the side girders 15, which in turn deliver their loads to the end girders 16. Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 6, it will be noted that the middle portions of the end girders 16 bear upon the middle portion of the cross bolster members and that the ends of the end girder members 16 have bearing portions 17 which are slightly spaced from bearing portions 18 on the cross bolster members when the equalizing bolster member 12 is in its normal middle position. In this connec tion it will be appreciated that the vertical distance between the bearing portion of the end girders and the bearing member 17 at the end of the end girders is slightly greater than the downward set of the intermediate portions of the cross bolster members. Each of the cross bolster members is provided with side stops 19 which limit relative lateral movement between the equalizing bolster member 12 and the cross bolster members 10 and 11. i

Owing to the relatively limited height from the rail to the bottom of the center sills in which to provide the necessary depth of two independent truck bolster sections, I choose to extend the side walls 20 of the end girder members 16 below the top of the cross bolster members 10 and 11 and use projecting flanges 21 on the bottom edges of the walls 20.to obtain the required strength.

. The side walls 20 thus extended, forming a saddle over the cross bolster members, also serve to transmit the longitudinal thrust from the center plate 14 to the cross bolster members 10 and 11. The side walls 20 which project downwardly over the sides of the cross bolsters l0 and 11 act as compression members of the saddle portions or beams of the equalizing bolster whereby the depth of the box or top portion of each beam may be reduced to a minimum to meet the height requirements from the rails to the bottom of center sills of the car body. As stated above, the intermediate portions 22 of the cross bolster members serve primarily as a bearing only for the end girders 16 of the equalizing bolster 12. By providing a slight vertical space between the bearing portions 17 and 18 oi the end girder member 16 and cross bolster members, a clearance is obtained which insures a center bearing at all times and thus provides for an equal distribution of the loads to the ends of the cross bolster members 10 and 11 when the truck is riding practically level.

The construction described in a large measure overcomes the tendency of a car body to roclr or roll due to unevenness of the road bed, in that the limited clearance provided between the side bearings 17 of the equalizing bolster and 18 of the cross bolster permits a proportionately larger upward and downward movement of the opposite end of the cross bolster bearing without disturbing the equilibrium of the load on the center plate. For example, referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, if the far end oi the left-hand cross bolster l0 dips to take care of a depression in the track at that corner of the truck, the equalizing bolster in effect rolls away from the center toward the opposite end of the cross bolster member and until the side bearings 17 and 18 at that end come in contact. lt atthe same time the near end of the bolster member 11 dips, the equalizing bolster in effect rolls on said bolster member 11 toward its opposite end until the opposite side bearings are in engagement with each other. Under such conditions the diagonallyarranged side bearings are in engagement with each other for stabilizing the load and limiting the rolling action to a minimum amount. Of course, it will be understood that the equalizing bolster member does not roll simultaneously in opposite directions on the cross bolster members 10 and 11, but it does so in a relative manner. As a matter of fact, it is the opposite ends of the cross bolster members 10 and 11 which rise or fall and the equalizing bolster remains horizontal.

The side bearing loads, due to reciting or" the car body, are taken up directly by the side girders 15 and delivered by them to the side bearii on the cross bolster members 10 and 11, The body side bearings, not shown, Will bear directly on side bearings 23, either attached to or cast integral with the side girders 15. Very little or no clearance is required between such side bearings for the reason that they are provided primarily to provide for turning of trucks on curves.

The ends of the end girders 16 are pro-- vided with openings 24 for the passage of brake rods when the clasp type of brake is used. Vl ere these openings not provided diliiculties would be presented in locating the brake rods connecting various parts of the clasp brake rigging. Accordingly, the openings 2% are placed in the line of the normal position of such brake rods.

By means of this three-piece bolster and the cooperation of the parts thereof, a lenible structure is provided whereby the load at all times is properly equalized.

lit is my intention to cover all modifications of the invention falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A railway car truck bolster including, in. combination, two cross bolster members, and an equalizing bolster member having girder members bearing normally on the middle of said cross bolster members and having a limited amount of rocking move ment with respect thereto to insure equalization of the load to the ends or" said cross bolster members.

2. A railway car truck bolster including, incombination, twq cross bolster members and an equalizing bolster member having saddle portions which bear and are adapted to rock on said cross bolster members for equalizing the transmitted load.

3. A railway car truck bolster including, in combinatiton, two cross bolster members, an equalizing bolster member haying saddle portions which bear and are adapted to rock on said cross bolster members for equalizing the transmitted load, and means for limiting said rocking movement.

l. l-l railway car truck bolster including, in combination, two cross bolster members, and an equalizing bolster member bearing normally on the middle of said cross bolster members and having a limited amount oi": rocking motion with respect thereto for equalizing the transmitted load.

5. A. railway car truck bolster including. in combination, two cross bolster members. an equalizing bolster member i065; ing on said cross bolster members and l ving a limited amount of rocking motion with re spect thereto for equalizing the transmitted load, and means for limiting relative lateral movement between said cross bolster members and said equalizing bolster her.

6. A railway car truclrbolster inch in combination, two cross bolster membe and equalizing bolster member havi via downwardly extending flanges which cmbrace opposite sides of said cross bolster members for taking thrusts transmitted from one to the other.

7. A *ailway *ar truck bolster including, in combination, two cross bolster members, an equalizing bolster member having downardlv extending flanges which embrace opposite sides of said cross bolster members for taking thrusts transmitted from one to the other, said cross bolster members and equalizing bolster member having a rocking motion with respect to each other, and means for limiting said rocking movement.

8. A railway car truck bolster including three separate pieces, two of said pieces being cross bolster members and the third being the equalizing bolster member, the

latter including a center plate, side girder members and end girder members. the latter bearing and being rockablv mounted on said cross bolster members.

9. A railway car truck bolster including three separate pieces, two of said pieces being cross bolster members and the third being the equalizing bolster member. the latter including a center plate, side girder members and end girder members, the latter bearing and being rockably mounted on said cross bolster members, and means for limiting said rocking movement.

10. A railway car truck bolster including three separate pieces, two of said pieces being cross bolster members and the third being the equalizing bolster member, the latter,including a center plate, side girder members and end girder members, the latter bearing and being rockably mounted on said cross bolster members. and means for limiting said rocking movement, said end girder members having depending portions for embracing opposite sides of the said cross bolster members for transmitting thrusts between said cross bolster members and equalizing bolster member.

11. A. railway car truck bolster including, in combination, two cross bolster members having curved bearing surfaces for permitting a relative rocking movementwith respect to associated bearing members, and an equalizing bolster member bearing normally on the middle of said cross bolster members and having a limited amount of rocking motion with respect thereto for equalizing the transmitted load.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this th day of December, 1920.

JOHN A. LAMONT. 

